


Photograph

by SuperRedRobin (SweetFanfics)



Series: Doctor AU [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU - Comicverse
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-16
Updated: 2012-03-16
Packaged: 2017-11-02 00:59:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/363257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetFanfics/pseuds/SuperRedRobin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kon sneaks another quick look up at Tim before pulling the picture out. He wonders who this mystery woman is as he quickly opens the paper. And finds himself looking at a picture of himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Photograph

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: Based before ‘I Think I…’
> 
> One-sided Tim/Kon and Kon/Cassie implied.

_Greta is slouched over the table, a finger tracing the rim of her nth martini. Palm on the table, chin on the back of her hand, she stares at the half-empty glass. She looks almost serene except for the fact that there are tears gathering in the corner of her eyes._   
  


Tim is sitting behind his desk, absentmindedly rolling a pen between his fingers as he goes over a file. A slight frown as he tries to decipher Kon’s chicken scratch that is supposed to pass for writing. At first glance, you’d think that he was mad but Kon knew that look of concentration well enough.  
  


_“He turned me down.” she suddenly confesses as the music dies down. Kon isn’t sure what the protocol is here. And thinks that maybe he should have invited Cassie. Because he doesn’t know what to do._   
  
__

“You really need to improve your penmanship Conner.” Tim comments. Kon jumps at the comment and has to bite back the urge to yell that he hadn’t been staring at Tim. But Tim doesn’t look up and continues flipping through the files.  
  


_“What did he say?” Kon asks hesitantly. Greta raises her glass up to her lips and drains it. She makes a face as the alcohol goes down and chokes out, “He said that he was flattered at the attention but he couldn’t go out with me because he’s already in love with someone else.”_   
  


“Say what?” Kon asks. Tim looks up at him, unamused blue eyes meeting his. He holds up a paper and taps it with a pen, “I have no idea what you’ve written here! If you don’t start writing your notes our more neatly, someone’s going to have an accident one of these days.”  
  


_Kon pats his friend’s hand sympathetically, “I’m sorry Greta.” She shakes her head, “Don’t be. It isn’t like you were to blame or anything.” Kon traces a drop of moisture on his beer bottle and sighs. “But I did keep pushing you to go for it.” He feels horribly guilty about this._   
  


“Bart never complained about my writing…”Kon mumbles into the magazine that he’s got open at his desk. Tim shakes his head, “Bart was the one who made all the notes because he knew how bad your writing was.” With a pout, Kon flips past a Calvin Klein ad, “I made notes for him! … . sometimes…” He feels just a bit guilty for always unloading on Bart like that actually…  
  


_Greta gives him a watery smile and places a hand over his, “Thanks Kon but…I’ll get over it.” Kon only nods quietly as she sips a fresh martini. “Did he…tell you anything?” She looks up at him, an eyebrow raised slightly in confusion. “About the girl he likes?”_   
  


Tim snorts and begins to make notes of his own. The soft noise of pen on paper hangs in the air as they sit in companionable silence in the empty clinic. Its a slow day and Kon is kind of grateful for it. Because that gives them a chance to talk.  
  


_She makes a face as tries to remember the details, “He said…he’s known her for a while. That they’re good friends but they didn’t get along in the start. That she’s a bit dense though but still a good hearted person.” Kon had wanted to snort at the vague description._   
  


He ignores the open magazine in front of him. And instead, watches Tim work. He’s pulling double duty today because Greta didn’t come in (horrible hangover she claimed and Kon didn’t question it) and he was juggling his nurse duties. But the universe decided to go easy on them and they were having a slow day.  
  


_“He said he keeps a picture of her in his wallet though.” Which had made Kon pause. It was on the tip of his tongue to mention that Tim didn’t have any pictures in his wallet. Or well, just the one of his parents…_

_  
_“Hey Tim…” he waits until he’s sure that he has the man’s attention before continuing, “Toss me your wallet wouldja?”  
  


Tim gives him a quick questioning look, “What for?  
  


Kon shrugs in his seat, “I need to get a new one and I like the one you have. But I wanted to check its size first.”  
  


The silence that follows makes Kon sweat a bit under the collar, thinking that perhaps Tim is onto him. And he holds back a sigh of relief when Tim pulls the black leather wallet out and tosses it to him. “If I find any money missing…” he warns.  
  


Kon rolls his eyes, “Right right…”  
  


 _Kon almost drops his bottle when Greta suddenly adds on, “Under this picture of his parents.”_ _He succeeds in making the liquid go down the right tube and asks, “Say what?” Greta rolls her eyes at him, “The girl he likes? He keeps her picture underneath the picture of his parents.”_  
  


He pulls his own wallet out, following the guise of checking the size of both before sneaking a look up at Tim. He is relieved beyond explanation that Tim already had his attention back on the paper work in front of him. And he feels crummy beyond belief that he’s going to abuse his trust like this…but he’s really gotta know…  
  


_A few more drinks later and Greta is full out sloshed. Kon didn’t envy the hangover that she’d be having in the morning as he helped her out of the bar. They stumble slight on the last step and she whacks him on the chest with her purse. “Watch it y’ idiot.” Kon gave her a dirty look, “I’m not an idiot!”_   
  


_Which for some reason, suddenly reminded him of Tim. And of all the ways he’s calling him an idiot over the past two years. And of the many occasions Tim has described him as a ‘good idiotic friend who just happens to be on the dense side_ ’. _And he can’t help but think…’Naaa….it couldn’t be…’_  
  


But here he is trying to settle down that nagging voice inside his head. He slips his fingers into the small compartment made for photos and Tim looks up at him and he _swears_ that his heart skipped a beat at that. But then the phone rings at the reception and Kon almost falls out of his chair. Almost but not quite. Some quick flailing saved him from falling on his ass but it was still funny enough for Tim.  
  


The second Tim slips behind the reception desk and has his back towards him, Kon pulls out the fading photograph of his parents. He can see where Tim got his good looks from as he flips the picture over. ‘Jack & Janet, 19xx.’ He lowers the picture and looks back at the compartment.  
  


And there indeed _is_ something there. Folded into a small rectangle just larger than an inch in height and width. Kon sneaks another quick look up at Tim before pulling the picture out. He wonders who this mystery woman is as he quickly opens the paper.  
  


And finds himself looking at a picture of himself.  
  


Even the nagging voice inside his head was stunned silent.  
  


 _‘Maybe there’s another picture…’_ he thinks to himself and checks. But no. There was only this picture.  
  


Clearly it was a secretly taking photo. Phone camera quality if he had to make a guess. A little blurry around the edges. Taken in the clinic as well if he was to take a stab at it. Good angle too…he didn’t think that the three-quarters angle ever worked for him…  
  


A clicking noise makes him start horribly and he hastily folds and shoves the picture back into place along with the picture of his parents. He is just slipping the second picture into place when he looks up and asks (in far too loud a tone), “Nice picture! Your folks?”  
  


Tim raises a slow eyebrow, “Yes. Taken a few months after their wedding. If you’re done, can I have that back?” Tim gestures towards his wallet and Kon is more than happy to throw it back.  
  


Kon feels guilty and wants to squirm like a child when Tim simply tucks his wallet back into his back pocket and sits down to resume his work. Kon feels almost resentful towards Tim. _‘Just sitting there, all calm. And I’m here trying not to having a fucking panic attack that my best friend might be in love with me.’_  
  


He stands up with a jerk, “I need some air.” he mumbles and Tim waves a hand dismissively. Kon stomps outside, wishing he could slam the door but they’ve got hydrolic door closers installed. So no door slamming within their premises. He stands there on the side walk, arms crossed over his chest and he scowls at the world.  
  


He tries to think of another explanation. But he can’t come up with anything that’ll stick. ‘ _Maybe he’s got the picture hidden somewhere else. But then why would he lie to Greta like that? To throw her off, to get her to stop. But just saying no would have been enough. But she wouldn’t have stopped at just that. Even Tim had to have known that Greta was serious in pursuing Tim. So he lied about the photograph. But then…whats_ my _picture doing there_?’  
  


That was the _real_ head scratcher of a question.


End file.
